Deck 3: Attitudes and Job Satisfaction

Question 1

Employees who have ________ were found to have improved attitudes once they talked about their experiences with their coworkers.

A) simple work tasks
B) emotionally-challenging work events
C) traumatic personal life events
D) sexual harassment experiences
E) poor performance reviews

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Jo is a courier delivering parcels throughout the metropolitan area. Although she considers herself law abiding, she often breaks the speed limit while making her deliveries. Which of the following statements does not reflect a likely response to the conflict between her attitude and her behavior?

A) "It's not a problem that I speed a little bit; it's not much over the limit, and everyone else speeds some."
B) "The speed limits are just too low around here; anyone driving at a reasonable speed will break them."
C) "This speeding is irresponsible. From now on I am observing the speed limits."
D) "I've got to drive fast sometimes, otherwise I will not make all my deliveries and I'll lose clients."
E) "It's wrong to break even minor laws, but I'll probably keep speeding anyway."

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of an affective attitude?

A) believing that you did a good job
B) the observation that most dogs have four legs
C) the opinion that it is never acceptable to steal
D) anger at being unfairly accused of a wrongdoing
E) the avoidance of a restaurant where one once received bad service

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Leon Festinger argued that ________ follow(s) ________.

A) behavior; job satisfaction
B) behavior; attitude
C) attitudes; behavior
D) attitudes; job satisfaction
E) job satisfaction; behavior

Question 5

"Dissonance" means ________.

A) reactance
B) constancy
C) resistance
D) consistency
E) inconsistency

Question 6

Mrs. Jonas believes strongly that it is important that workers' rights be respected, and that one of the more important ways of doing this is to ensure that all workers be properly documented. She is supervising a contracting company that is building a new warehouse for her company. While doing this she discovers that many of the workers employed by the contractor are undocumented aliens working for well below minimum wage. In this situation Mrs. Jonas has a(n) ________ that is in conflict with a(n) ________.

A) behavior; behavior
B) attitude; attitude
C) social need; social interest
D) social need; social need
E) attitude; behavior

Question 7

Mrs. Jonas believes strongly that it is important that workers' rights be respected, and that one of the more important ways of doing this is to ensure that all workers be properly documented. She is supervising a contracting company that is building a new warehouse for her company. While doing this she discovers that many of the workers employed by the contractor are undocumented aliens working for well below minimum wage. Mrs. Jonas can be expected to relieve the discomfort she is experiencing by doing the following except ________.

A) deciding this issue is unimportant
B) rationalizing that it is not her problem since she is not the contractor
C) attempting to stop the contractor using undocumented workers
D) coming to accept that using undocumented workers does not harm workers' rights
E) terminating the contract as it is against her attitude

Question 8

The intent to act in a certain way is the affective component of an attitude.

Question 9

Festinger proposed that the desire to reduce dissonance is determined by three moderating factors including the ________.

A) values of the elements creating the dissonance
B) degree of influence the individual believes he or she has over the elements
C) degree of positive affect the person has toward the behavior
D) fact that values and attitudes will vary over the short term
E) awareness that dissonance exists

Question 10

Sheila works for a manufacturer of Styrofoam trays for school lunches. Last year her son came home from school and told her that the trays she makes go straight to the landfill where they sit for hundreds of years without ever biodegrading. Although this information bothers Sheila, she does not look for another job because she enjoys her very high salary. Which dissonance moderating factor is illustrated by this example?

A) Dissonance is reduced because of the sense of control by the individual.
B) Dissonance is reduced because of the importance to the individual.
C) There is no dissonance moderating factor in the example.
D) Dissonance is increased because of the sense of control by the individual.
E) High dissonance is tolerated because of a high reward.

Question 11

The belief that "violence is wrong" is an evaluative statement. Such an opinion constitutes the ________ component of an attitude.

A) cognitive
B) affective
C) reflective
D) behavioral
E) reactive

Question 12

Janice is spending the summer working as an intern writing copy for a local firm. Today Janice's senior editor sent back some of Janice's work covered in red ink corrections. Up until now, all of Janice's work had been corrected in green or blue ink. Janice is upset and worried that her senior editor doesn't like her. Which component of an attitude is not represented in the previous scenario?

A) the positive component
B) the cognitive component
C) the affective component
D) the negative component
E) the behavioral component

Question 13

Thad, Jamarcus, and Willy have been working for Davidson International each for three years. While the trio started together as analysts and are all still on the same team, Jamarcus has recently been made a team lead, while Willy and Thad are still in their respective positions, although Willy did receive a small raise after his last performance evaluation. When Thad complained about not getting a raise, he was experiencing which attitude?

A) cognitive
B) affective
C) behavioral
D) negative
E) dissonance

Question 14

There are three components of an attitude: cognition, affect, and behavior.

Question 15

Attitudes are evaluative statements.

Question 16

The emotional or feeling component of a person's attitude is called ________.

A) complex understanding
B) the cognitive component
C) the affective component
D) a complex attitude
E) the behavior component

Question 17

Mrs. Jonas believes strongly that it is important that workers' rights be respected, and that one of the more important ways of doing this is to ensure that all workers be properly documented. She is supervising a contracting company that is building a new warehouse for her company. While doing this she discovers that many of the workers employed by the contractor are undocumented aliens working for well below minimum wage. Mrs. Jonas is likely experiencing ________.

A) cognitive dissonance
B) unresolved anger
C) ethical evasion
D) uncertainty avoidance
E) social pressure

Question 18

The theory of cognitive dissonance was proposed by ________.

A) Maslow
B) Festinger
C) Hofstede
D) Skinner
E) Pavlov

Question 19

Which of the following answer choices is the best definition of attitude?

A) Attitudes indicate how one will react to a given event.
B) Attitudes are the yardstick by which one measures ones actions.
C) Attitudes are the emotional part of an evaluation of a person, object, or event.
D) Attitudes are evaluative statements of what one believes about something or someone.
E) Attitudes are a measure of how the worth of an object, person or event is evaluated.

Question 20

Any incompatibility between two or more attitudes or between behavior and attitudes results in ________.

A) organizational dissonance
B) cognitive dissonance
C) attitudinal clarification
D) values clarification
E) affective reactance

Question 21

Which of the following is not considered a major job attitude by OB researchers?

A) job satisfaction
B) positive personality
C) organizational commitment
D) employee engagement
E) job involvement

Question 22

James is a scientist for a local manufacturer that employs a large percentage of the small town where he lives. Until recently James has loved his job. However, it has been discovered that the company is releasing small amounts of toxins into the local river. James is extremely bothered by this information. Based on what you know about James, describe the cognitive dissonance that he is experiencing, and two ways that James might alter his behavior or attitude to reduce the dissonance.

Question 23

Thad, Jamarcus, and Willy have been working for Davidson International each for three years. While the trio started together as analysts and are all still on the same team, Jamarcus has recently been made a team lead while Willy and Thad are still in their respective positions although Willy did receive a small raise after his last performance evaluation. Willy was happy to receive the raise but felt guilty that Thad did not also get a raise. Which best describes Willy's feelings?

A) cognitive dissonance
B) affective behavior
C) job satisfaction
D) workplace deviance
E) organizational citizenship

Question 24

________ is the degree to which employees believe the organization values their contribution and cares about their well-being.

A) Psychological empowerment
B) Employee engagement
C) Perceived organizational support
D) Organizational commitment
E) Job involvement

Question 25

In her work in the publishing industry, Vera seeks out new authors whom she considers promising. In the past two years she has found a number of new writers whose work she thought was exceptional, and immersed herself in the task of helping them shape their manuscripts for submission to her managers for publishing. Although she was extremely proud of the results, none of the authors she worked with were chosen for publication. Vera believes that the decision not to publish these authors was based on personal rivalries within management, rather than the quality of her writers' work. She is extremely frustrated, dreads coming into work each morning, and is seriously thinking of resigning. How can Vera's job attitudes best be described?

A) low job satisfaction and low job involvement
B) low job satisfaction and high job involvement
C) high job satisfaction and low job involvement
D) high job satisfaction and high job involvement
E) low organizational commitment

Question 26

Discuss cognitive dissonance theory. How do individuals seek consistency among their attitudes, and between their attitudes and their behavior?

Question 27

Your friend Leslyn has been driving a Mustang for the past few years and is very vocal about how much she likes her car. Unfortunately, she was recently in an accident and has now purchased a brand new Challenger. Now she talks about how much she likes the Challenger and has started to criticize Mustangs! Which statement would best describe what you should say to Leslyn the next time she talks about cars?

A) Leslyn, I liked your Mustang but your Challenger is great too!
B) Leslyn, I am sorry about your car. Why did you not get another Mustang?
C) Leslyn, I am sorry about your car Mustang. It was a great car but your Challenger is great too!
D) Leslyn, I am sorry about your Mustang but do you need to be so negative toward it now?
E) Leslyn, your negativity is driving us all nuts!

Question 28

In regards to job engagement, having a good manager they enjoy working for and ________ were found to be the top causations.

A) feeling appreciated by one's supervisor
B) being paid what they feel they are worth
C) getting timely promotions
D) socializing with one's coworkers
E) having flexible work schedules

Question 29

What refers to a positive feeling about a job, resulting from an evaluation of its characteristics?

A) job satisfaction
B) job involvement
C) job stability
D) organizational commitment
E) social investment

Question 30

The degree to which a person identifies with his or her job, actively participates in it, and considers his or her performance as being important to self-worth is ________.

A) job satisfaction
B) job involvement
C) job stability
D) organizational commitment
E) social embeddedness

Question 31

Lance recently earned his doctorate from a historic University, famous for its top academics and sports programs. While in graduate school, he was very active in student life and intramurals and maintained an active social life while earning high marks for his teaching and research. Upon graduation, he was elected "senator at large" for the alumni association and still maintains strong relationships with his faculty and mentors. After graduation, Lance was hired as an assistant professor at a metropolitan University. This University is only 30 years old, has no sports program and very little collegiality among the faculty and staff. Although his teaching evaluations are high, he gets very little positive input from his supervisors and feels that he is constantly being abused and overworked by the administration, regardless of his personal life. With which two job attitudes is Lance most likely having issues?

A) Cognitive Dissonance and Job Satisfaction
B) Job Satisfaction and Employee Engagement
C) Employee Engagement and Perceived Organizational Support
D) Perceived Organizational Support and Cognitive Dissonance
E) Job Satisfaction and Perceived Organizational Support

Question 32

According to Festinger, people seek consistency among their attitudes and their behaviors.

Question 33

Describe how attitude can shape behavior.

Question 34

Which of the following is not a moderating variable of the attitude-behavior relationship?

A) direct experience
B) correspondence to behavior
C) power
D) accessibility
E) importance

Question 35

Rewards can offset dissonance.

Question 36

Cameron loves her job as a data programmer, but her coworker Blake, is very challenging. Blake often loses his temper over aspects of shared projects that neither of them can control. When discussing projects in Cameron's work station, Blake plays with her office supplies, rearranges her desk, and leaves snack and food crumbs. Worst of all, Blake always takes the portion of a project that is the easiest, leaving Cameron to work harder and longer hours. Which of the following is not an effective method for handling Cameron's problems with Blake?

A) Cameron should invite Blake to lunch and directly confront him with her feelings.
B) Cameron should invite Blake to coffee to clarify if there are any misunderstandings.
C) Cameron should simply ignore Blake and his behavior.
D) Cameron should make a point of going to Blake's work station and leaving a mess.
E) Cameron should ask a manager to help divide the work load for the next project.

Question 37

Employees' beliefs in the degree to which they influence their work environment, their competence, the meaningfulness of their job, and their perceived autonomy is termed as ________.

A) psychological empowerment
B) organizational commitment
C) perceived organizational support
D) employee engagement
E) job satisfaction

Question 38

Of the following attitudes, the best predictor of turnover is ________.

A) pay
B) supervision
C) organizational commitment
D) cognitive dissonance
E) affective dissonance

Question 39

Organizational commitment is defined as ________.

A) the degree to which an employee identifies with the organization they work for and its goals
B) an employee's belief that the organization they work for will go to considerable lengths to ensure that its employees are treated fairly
C) the degree to which an employee's sense of fulfillment and self-worth is related to their job
D) the amount of effort an employee will make in order to keep or advance their position in an organization
E) the degree to which an employee believes their work impacts their organization

Question 40

The more specific the attitude and the more specific the behavior, the stronger the link between the two.

Question 41

Organizational commitment is a more global response to the organization than is job satisfaction.

Question 42

Which of the following is true regarding the relationship between satisfaction and absenteeism?

A) There is a consistent positive relationship between the two.
B) There is a consistent negative relationship between the two.
C) There is a curvilinear relationship between the two.
D) When fairness is controlled for, there is a direct relationship between the two.
E) No relationship can be established between the two.

Question 43

As the manager of a high volume bank, you are faced daily with customers who are in a hurry and need decidedly speedy service from the window tellers. Which of the following would most likely cause your employees to offer the customers the service they want while also keeping your employees satisfied with their roles?

A) pay them more
B) seek input from the tellers on how to improve their job
C) offer them flex time
D) bring donuts for the break room
E) let the tellers manage themselves

Question 44

How can the gaps between what managers think employees feel and what employees really feel be reduced?

A) conducting regular surveys
B) enforcing administrative policies
C) improving workplace conditions
D) providing incentives
E) training employees

Question 45

There is a strong link between employee ________ and ________.

A) attitudes; skill set
B) attitudes; personality
C) personality; ability
D) ability, attitudes
E) ability, skill set

Question 46

What kind of relationship exists between organizational commitment and job productivity?

A) an inverse relationship
B) an independent relationship
C) a weak relationship
D) a positive relationship
E) a negative relationship

Question 47

Explain the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance.

Question 48

Compared to people who have a negative core self-evaluation, people who have a positive core self-evaluation ________.

A) are less satisfied with their jobs
B) see their work as less challenging
C) see their work as less fulfilling
D) are less likely to gravitate toward challenging jobs
E) are less likely to give up when confronting difficulties

Question 49

Which major job-satisfaction facet is most strongly correlated with high levels of overall job satisfaction?

A) work flexibility
B) pay
C) social context of the workplace
D) supervision
E) transparency

Question 50

Most of the research in OB has been concerned with three attitudes: job satisfaction, job involvement, and organizational commitment. Explain the difference between these attitudes.

Question 51

Research shows that someone with a ________ core self-evaluation will also have a ________ job satisfaction level.

A) high; high
B) high; low
C) low; high
D) low; low
E) There is no connection between these two factors.

Question 52

Thad, Jamarcus, and Willy have been working for Davidson International each for three years. While the trio started together as analysts and are all still on the same team, Jamarcus has recently been made a team lead while Willy and Thad are still in their respective positions although Willy did receive a small raise after his last performance evaluation. Of the five major job attitudes, Jamarcus probably has the highest level of ________, while Willy probably has the highest level of ________.

A) job satisfaction; perceived organizational support
B) job satisfaction; organizational commitment
C) organizational commitment; job involvement
D) organizational commitment; job satisfaction
E) job involvement; job satisfaction

Question 53

An individual's involvement with, satisfaction with, and enthusiasm for the work he/she performs is known as ________.

A) employee engagement
B) job involvement
C) loyalty
D) job satisfaction
E) psychological empowerment

Question 54

Job involvement refers to an individual's general attitude toward his or her job.

Question 55

In high power-distance countries such as China, employee perceived organizational support perceptions are not as deeply based on employer demonstrations of fairness, support, and encouragement. The difference is ________.

A) the rate of financial rewards
B) the amount vacation days awarded
C) the level of expectations by employees
D) the willingness to work overtime by employees
E) the willingness of employers to take part in employees personal lives

Question 56

Summing up responses to a number of job factors achieves a more accurate evaluation of job satisfaction than does a single global rating.

Question 57

In the context of employee engagement, it is observed that the highly engaged employees feel a deep connection to their company. Disengaged employees ________.

A) feel disconnected, portraying deviant behavior at the workplace
B) put in efforts to be as good as engaged employees
C) continue working without affecting the turnover
D) put time but no attention into their work
E) engage in productive activities to prove their worth

Question 58

In general, people are satisfied with their jobs.

Question 59

Guillermo's wife was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Guillermo had to take a considerable amount of time off work to care for their children, and he was late in completing his portion of a large project. Guillermo never feared that his job was in jeopardy because of his absences or his delay in completion of work. Name the major job attitude relative to the above stated example.

A) psychological empowerment
B) perceived organizational support
C) organizational commitment
D) employee engagement
E) job involvement

Question 60

Siddarth has a positive attitude toward his organization. He feels the management treats all employees fairly in matters concerning rewards, takes into account employees' opinions, and overall, is highly supportive. Siddarth's attitude toward his employing organization is indicative of ________.

A) psychological empowerment
B) employee engagement
C) perceived organizational support
D) core self evaluations
E) organizational citizenship

Question 61

Which of the following is not an example of organizational citizenship behavior?

A) telling your friends about the company's great work environment
B) contributing to a fund for a coworker to help with medical bills
C) discouraging a friend from applying for a job at the company
D) working over the weekend to make sure a project gets done
E) volunteering to help a colleague meet a deadline

Question 62

Which of the following employees does not exhibit deviant behavior in the workplace?

A) Samuel quits his job because his manager never appreciates his efforts.
B) Joanna, an HR executive, uses work time to surf articles on the latest fashion trends.
C) Wilson takes work supplies like pens and paper clips home for personal use.
D) Lily does not show up for work for more than 3 days a week.
E) Cara wraps up her work early to attend her daughter's ballet recital.

Question 63

Charles makes $24,000 a year. Ana makes $40,000 a year. Ellis makes $75,000 a year. Adam makes $75,000 a year. Shonali makes $30,000 a year. Which of the following is not a true statement about the usual correlation between pay and job satisfaction?

A) Charles is less likely to be satisfied with his job than Adam.
B) Ana is as likely to be as satisfied with her job as Ellis.
C) Ellis and Adam are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs than Shonali.
D) Charles is less likely to be satisfied with his job than Shonali.
E) Shonali is as likely to be satisfied with her job as Charles.

Question 64

Sharon is unhappy with her job as a salesperson at a retail store for many reasons. Yesterday a customer asked her where the shampoo was located. Sharon listlessly replied, "I don't know." She then turned her back on the customer and continued stocking the shelf. This is an example of how job satisfaction can affect ________.

A) employee OCB
B) customer satisfaction
C) absenteeism
D) turnover
E) workplace deviance

Question 65

Think about the best job you have ever had. What elements of that job made it particularly satisfying to you (be sure to use OB terminology)?

Question 66

Once an individual reaches a level of comfortable living, the relationship between pay and job satisfaction ________.

A) becomes stronger
B) turns positive
C) becomes negligible
D) becomes negative
E) weakens, but only slightly

Question 67

Discuss why employees who are committed will be less likely to engage in work withdrawal even if they are dissatisfied.

Question 68

Which generational group has the highest correlation between corporate social responsibility and job satisfaction?

A) Generation X
B) Baby Boomers
C) Millennial
D) Generation Alpha
E) G.I. Generation

Question 69

The performance variables productivity, absenteeism, and turnover are generally considered a part of the ________ behaviors in the exit-voice-loyalty-neglect framework.

A) voice and neglect
B) neglect and loyalty
C) exit and voice
D) loyalty and exit
E) exit and neglect

Question 70

Who are most likely to demonstrate organizational citizenship behaviors?

A) the highest paid employees
B) the lowest paid employees
C) those who receive positive feedback on their citizenship behaviors
D) those whose citizenship behaviors go unnoticed
E) the supervisor

Question 71

Which of the following does not apply to corporate social responsibility?

A) Not all projects are equally meaningful for every person's job satisfaction
B) Participation for all employees is sometimes expected
C) Some organizations require employees to con-tribute in a prescribed manner
D) Pressuring people to go along with CSR will help them think outside the box
E) CSR measures can seem disconnected from the employee's actual work

Question 72

Which of the following is generally considered the best predictor of job satisfaction?

A) pay
B) social interactions
C) supervision
D) the work itself
E) task interdependence

Question 73

The evidence indicates that satisfied employees increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Question 74

Of the "Big Five" personality traits, which two are most associated with job satisfaction?

A) neuroticism and agreeableness
B) agreeableness and conscientiousness
C) conscientiousness and openness to experiences
D) openness to experiences and extroverted
E) extroverted and neuroticism

Question 75

Work satisfaction and life satisfaction do not influence each other.

Question 76

When a company exhibits corporate social responsibility, its employees are more likely to exhibit levels of job satisfaction. Why is this the case?

Question 77

The exit-voice-loyalty-neglect framework aids in understanding the consequences of ________.

A) pay
B) low motivation
C) dissatisfaction
D) lack of loyalty
E) low levels of employee engagement

Question 78

Individuals with high levels of both ________ and ________ are most likely to have high levels of job satisfaction.

A) core self-evaluations; career commitment
B) core self-evaluations; mentoring relationships
C) mentoring relationships; social interactions
D) social interactions; core self-evaluations
E) mentoring relationships; career commitment

Question 79

Ramiro has been a forklift driver for the local grocery store for six years. He earns $32,000 a year. He works with a nice crew. He plays softball with his coworkers on the weekends. They also volunteer together at the local food bank during the holidays, and socialize with their families at summer picnics. Ramiro is highly satisfied with his job. Which of the following is the most probable cause of Ramiro's high job satisfaction?

A) pay
B) promotion
C) high stress
D) social context
E) work itself

Question 80

Employees at Acme Express are dissatisfied with the working conditions, salary, and the general attitude of the management. Mark, Susan, and Toni are good friends who work at Acme, yet each seems to be reacting differently to the problems at work. Toni has decided that she'll just get a new job and get away from the problem. Toni is dealing with her dissatisfaction through ________.

A) exit
B) voice
C) loyalty
D) neglect
E) acceptance